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Automattic

San Francisco, California Founded 2005 9 products

Official website
Products
9
Categories
9
Free plans
7
Guides
5

About Automattic

Automattic Inc. is the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, Tumblr and other web publishing and commerce products. Matt Mullenweg, a co-creator of the open-source WordPress software, founded it in 2005. Automattic is registered in San Francisco but has long operated as a distributed company with no physical headquarters, and its employees work from dozens of countries.

For Indian businesses, the most relevant products are WordPress.com (managed hosting and site building), WooCommerce (an open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress, with paid extensions), Jetpack (security, backup and performance tools), WordPress VIP (enterprise hosting), Akismet (spam filtering) and Pocket Casts. WooCommerce works with Indian payment gateways such as Razorpay through third-party plugins.

WordPress.com sells tiered subscription plans online with published prices, and it offers localised pricing in some markets. WooCommerce itself is free, and Automattic earns revenue from paid extensions, themes and WooPayments. WordPress VIP contracts are negotiated with large enterprises. WordPress.com also sells domain names and business email, and it runs a marketplace for premium plugins and themes.

Automattic is privately held, and its investors include Salesforce Ventures. In September 2026 its board placed Mullenweg on leave and named CFO Mark Davies interim CEO. Days later the company confirmed that Mullenweg had returned as CEO, and press coverage described the leadership situation as unsettled. The company has also been in a public legal dispute with hosting company WP Engine since 2024. Buyers should note that the open-source WordPress project is run by its own community and the WordPress Foundation, not by Automattic, although Automattic employees contribute to it heavily.

Key facts

Legal name
Automattic Inc.
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, United States
Founded
2005
Founders
Matt Mullenweg
Ownership
Privately held
Made in India
No
Products listed
9
Platforms
Web, Android, iOS
Deployment
Cloud
Official website
woocommerce.com

Automattic products compared

ProductCategoryStarting priceFree planPlatformsRating
WooCommerce logoWooCommerceE-commerce platforms & website buildersFreeYesWeb4.7
Simplenote logoSimplenoteNotes, docs & knowledge managementFreeYesWeb4.6
Pressable logoPressableWeb hosting₹2,000/moNoWeb4.4
WordPress.com logoWordPress.comContent marketing & AI writingFree planYesWeb4.4
Jetpack logoJetpackWebsite builders & CMSFree planYesWeb4.3
MailPoet logoMailPoetEmail marketing softwareFree planYesWeb4.3
Tumblr logoTumblrMessaging & social appsFree planYesWeb, Android, iOS4.1
WordPress VIP logoWordPress VIPWebsite builders & CMSOn requestNoWeb4.1
Pocket Casts logoPocket CastsUtility, productivity & everyday appsFree planYesWeb, Android, iOS4.0
MailPoet logo

Automattic · Email marketing software

4.3App Advisor rating

Newsletter and email automation plugin for WordPress and WooCommerce, free up to 500 subscribers.

Free plan

Starts at

Free plan

View
Tumblr logo

Automattic · Messaging & social apps

4.1App Advisor rating

Microblogging and social platform for posting and reblogging art, writing and fandom content.

Free planMobile app

Starts at

Free plan

View

Automattic pricing at a glance

Categories Automattic competes in

Leadership & history

Leadership

  • Matt MullenwegFounder & CEO (returned September 2026 after board-ordered leave)

Timeline

  1. 2005 Founded; WordPress.com launched
  2. 2015 Acquired WooCommerce (WooThemes)
  3. 2019 Acquired Tumblr
  4. 2024 Public dispute with WP Engine began
  5. 2026 Board-ordered leave for Mullenweg, followed by his return as CEO

Alternatives to Automattic

Top-ranked products from other companies in the same categories.

Blogs that cover Automattic

Automattic FAQs

Who owns WordPress.com?

Automattic Inc.

Is Automattic the same as WordPress?

No. WordPress is open-source software. Automattic is a company that runs WordPress.com and contributes to the project.

Where is Automattic based?

It is registered in San Francisco but operates as a fully distributed company.

Who is Automattic's CEO?

Matt Mullenweg. He returned in September 2026 after the board briefly placed him on leave.

What does Automattic do?

Automattic makes e-commerce platforms & website builders, notes, docs & knowledge management, web hosting and content marketing & ai writing. Its products listed on App Advisor are WooCommerce (Open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress), Simplenote (Simple synced notes), Pressable (Managed WordPress by Automattic), WordPress.com (Hosted blogging and websites), Jetpack (WordPress security and tools) and MailPoet (Newsletter and email automation plugin for WordPress and WooCommerce, free up to 500 subscribers).

Where is Automattic headquartered?

Automattic is headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States and was founded in 2005.

How much does Automattic cost?

WooCommerce: Free; Simplenote: Free; Pressable: ₹2,000/mo; WordPress.com: Free plan; Jetpack: Free plan; MailPoet: Free plan; Tumblr: Free plan; WordPress VIP: On request. These are the starting prices on App Advisor's listings — confirm on Automattic's official pricing page before you buy.

Does Automattic have a free plan?

Yes. WooCommerce, Simplenote, WordPress.com, Jetpack, MailPoet, Tumblr and Pocket Casts offer a free plan or free tier.

What are the best alternatives to Automattic?

Popular alternatives in the same categories include Swiggy Minis by Swiggy, Instamojo Store by Instamojo, Dukaan by Dukaan, Zoho Commerce by Zoho Corporation and Shoopy by Shoopy.

Company details researched from official sources, last updated 2026-09-14: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5].

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